Modi is a devil and he wants to divide Hindus and Muslims in Kolkata: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressing an election campaign meeting in Birbhum district of West Bengal on Friday. (Photo: PTI)

A day after Narendra Modi targeted her, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday called the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate “a devil” and the “architect of riots”. She said “the nation will plunge into darkness” if Modi becomes the prime minister.

“Modi is a devil. He has presided over riots in his own state and has turned his attention to Bengal… He wants to divide Hindus and Muslims in the state,” she said in a statement put up on the Trinamool Congress website.

Reacting to Modi’s charge of misgovernance, she said, “We do not need gyaan on development from the architect of riots. He has no right to be in politics.”

On Modi’s allegation that she was ignoring non-Bengalis and welcoming Bangladeshis, Mamata said, “Everyone is our brother and sister, whether they belong to Gujarat or Bihar. We do not discriminate between people… We don’t do casteism and dirty politics.

“Bangla is the fifth most widely spoken language in the world. Elsewhere in India, people who speak Bangla are branded Bangladeshis… Bangladeshis who migrated to India followed the 1971 Indira-Mujib agreement (are)… legal immigrants.”

The Election Commission has asked for the CD and transcript of Modi’s speech in West Bengal on Sunday. The TMC’s Mukul Roy had complained against Modi for claiming that one of Mamata’s paintings was sold for “Rs 1.80 crore” and raising doubts about the buyer.